Chapter 1

Souterliedekens, a bicolor print by Symon Cock from Antwerp, 1540. The subtitle reads: "ghemaect ter eeren Gods op alle die psalmen van David, tot stichtinghe ende een gheestelike vermakinghe van allen Christen menschen", which means: "made to honor God on all the Psalms of David, for the devotion and the spiritual enjoyment of Christian people". The engraving on the title page shows King David.

The handwritten inscription at the beginning of the book reads: "These songs are printed twice in 1540, once with the Latin text in Roman characters on the edge, the other with the text in gothic characters, as presented in this edition. The latter seems to be earlier and is more complete".

The psalm texts appear in Latin on the right side with a Dutch translation on the left.

Calls, prayers, groans and complaints, says the text of this song. The collection of souterliedekens, a word derived from psalter, by Willemn van Zuylen van Nijevelt is historically and musically important because it contains not only the texts but also the printed melodies.

The spine of the parchment cover is marked: "Souterliedekens or all the psalms of David, with privilege of emperor Charles V, Anno 1540". The book is barely 17 cm high.